Artist rendering of a proposed 19-story, 207-unit apartment building at the corner of Washington Boulevard and West Park Place and a second 15-story, 210-unit building on lower Summer Street. The proposal by Trinity Financial is currently being considered by the city Zoning Board. Trinity proposes to build a 210-unit, 15-story luxury apartment building on the Phase 2 parcel and a 207-unit, 19-story building on the Phase 4 parcel, as shown on the attached plan.

Artist rendering of a proposed 19-story, 207-unit apartment building at the corner of Washington Boulevard and West Park Place and a second 15-story, 210-unit building on lower Summer Street. The proposal by

Artist rendering of a proposed 19-story, 207-unit apartment building at the corner of Washington Boulevard and West Park Place.

Artist rendering of a proposed 19-story, 207-unit apartment building at the corner of Washington Boulevard and West Park Place.

Photo: Contributed Photo

Image 3 of 3

Downtown development goes back before Zoning Board

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

STAMFORD -- The city's Zoning Board has started to review plans for two luxury rental high-rises that would complete two critical phases of the stalled downtown development known as Park Square West.

Trinity Financial, a Boston-based developer that is expected to take over the project from Corcoran Jennison, is proposing to construct a total of 417 luxury apartments and nearly 11,000 square feet of ground floor retail on several parcels north of West Park Place between Atlantic Street and Washington Boulevard.

If approved, the $130 million project would jumpstart one of the city's most long-awaited residential developments that had become strangled by delays. The new buildings would join a list of other significant upcoming projects in the downtown, including a recently approved 21-story, 226-unit rental building on lower Summer Street from F.D. Rich.

Back in 1998, Corcoran Jennison entered into an agreement with the city's Urban Redevelopment Commission to build Park Square West as a phased construction of four residential buildings. But after finishing the first building, a nine-story, 143-unit building at 101 Summer St., the company was forced to redesign the project after the owner of Curley's Diner successfully fought off the city's eminent domain seizure. The property had been targeted as part of the development, along with city-owned land that is controlled by the URC. A delay ensued and eventually, Corcoran Jennison indicated that it no longer wished to complete the project.

Around early 2011, the company identified Trinity as a potential successor. It will agreed to cede its development rights, with Trinity paying Corcoran Jennison an undisclosed amount for the plans.

According to Trinity, Corcoran Jennison revealed in documents to the URC that it had spent more than $7 million trying to develop Park Square West.

Several city bodies must approve the deal, which includes an amended land disposition agreement for Trinity to purchase and develop the land from the city and a 99-year lease for 93 parking spaces at the Summer Street garage.

"It's really a win, win, win," said Laure Aubuchon, the city's economic development director. "It's a win for the city of Stamford in terms of really fulfilling the vision of the master plan for dense downtown residential housing. It's a win for the URC in terms of helping fulfill their mission of downtown development. And obviously, it's a win for the developer."

Aubuchon was one of several city officials who assembled Monday at the Government Center for a public hearing before the Zoning Board.

Trinity is seeking zoning approval for a series of special exceptions as well as its final site and architectural plans.

Construction is expected to begin with a 15-story, 210-unit building on a parcel south of the Bow Tie Majestic Cinema on Summer Street. The second building would consist of 19 stories and 207 units on the northeast intersection between Washington Boulevard and West Park Place.

The developer is also proposing to reconfigure and build an extension of the Summer Street Parking Garage to accommodate a total of 417 spaces.

A groundbreaking is targeted for next year. As part of its negotiations with the city, Trinity has pledged to accelerate construction and build all three structures in the span of three years.

Although zoning regulations stipulate that 25 of the units be affordable, Trinity is asking the Zoning Board for permission to fulfill the city's affordable housing requirement by making a fee-in-lieu payment of $4.7 million.

Trinity has suggested the possibility of giving the money to the city's housing authority Charter Oak Communities, which has been building mixed-income developments. The developer has also been in talks with the University of Connecticut, which may explore building student housing in the downtown.

At hearing on Monday, zoning board members dissected the parking plan for the two buildings. Among the issues raised was that the project would involve the loss of 160 surface parking spaces.

"That's a major parking reduction that's going to inconvenience the public," said Jeff Jonas, an alternate on the board.

But representatives for the developer asserted that there was a glut of parking spaces available in the downtown, including those at two city garages, one at Bell Street and the other at Summer Street.